Home folder shows as "Documents" instead of folder name

[chazzy2501]

Home folder shows as "Documents" instead of folder name. This is a problem I recently noticed when I added Vista clients to my domain. Each pupil has a home folder mapped via active directory the a share folder on the file server.

 

Example

\\server\09$\%username%

 

What I'm noticing is that when I visit this share, instead of seeing a list of usernames all the folders have a special icon and their displayed as "Documents". This makes it hard for me to work with them.

 

I thought this problem was limited to my 64bit Vista workstation but now my XP machines are doing the same.

 

How do I turn this off?

 

cheers

[Guest TheLibrarian]

This could be caused by the hidden file in each user directory called desktop.ini.

 

Find one, kill it and then look at the direcory name again.

[Michael]

I believe this is a 'feature' of Windows Vista. Not sure if there's a fix or not, but it is really annoying.

[chazzy2501]

Thanks, I'd never looked at that file, I noticed that all users have the desktop.ini file. Although all the desktop.ini files have an entry for "PersonalizedName=My Documents". The ini files with the additional [.ShellClassInfo] are the ones that louse up.

 

Do you forsee any problems deleting this file?

[Guest TheLibrarian]

We don't have any Vista clients, I can say that none of the XP Pro clients have ever had a problem with missing Desktop.ini files that I have deleted.

[SYNACK]

Thanks, I'd never looked at that file, I noticed that all users have the desktop.ini file. Although all the desktop.ini files have an entry for "PersonalizedName=My Documents". The ini files with the additional [.ShellClassInfo] are the ones that louse up.

 

Do you forsee any problems deleting this file?

 

No but it will just recreate it on the next user logon so it is a short term solution, I edited the custom names to be the same as the folder names but that was on a small site with a handful of users.

[chazzy2501]

Is there a way of getting my workstation to ignore the ini file?

[SYNACK]

Is there a way of getting my workstation to ignore the ini file?

 

There are three ways I have thought of combating this problem, the MS solution which is rubbish is denying permission to the whole folder so that the ini is not accessed or nest the docs folder in another one.

 

My solution ideas are:

1. script setact to go through and deny your user account read permission to the desktop.ini in each user docs folder (can do manualy if there are only a few users)

2. script a rewrite of all of the desktop.inis to change their custom names to the folder names

3. this one I have not tried yet as I am not near a server but it is the most elegant: Use a machine GPO on the docs server to set the deny read ACL on all desktop.ini files one folder deep in the documents share.

[maark]

sorry to resurrect old thread - but searching on google led me to edugeek :-)

noticed this problem with loads of documents folders appearing alongside home folders after introducing windows 7 machines on network.

my current redirection settings are "advanced - specify settings for various user groups" - then have students security group set to "redirect to the users home directory" which worked fine on xp.

Have found this on microsoft When you redirect the Documents folder on a Windows Vista-based or Windows 7-based computer to a network share, the folder name unexpectedly changes back to Documents

but still not sure what best settings to put into group policy and also whether I need to modify the desktop.ini files.

Can anyone help,

cheers Mark

[kennysarmy]

Having the same issue here.....

[ChrisMiles]

This is the reason recommended practice and the default for folder redirection is for my documents to be redirected to a Documents folder inside the user's folder rather than the user folder directly. This will prevent the issue.

[plexer]

If thats best practice why is there a gpo setting that is redirect to users home folder?

 

Ben

[ChrisMiles]

The redirect to users home folder setting causes the pictures/music/videos etc folders to be redirected to folder inside where the document folder is (ie the way XP did it) instead of them all being in seperate folders (like vista and windows 7 do it). This has absolutely no affect on how vista and windows 7 display the user's profile folder. The folder's listed in the user's profile folders are simply links to the redirected folder.

 

It is still recommended to redirect to a folder inside the user's server folder to prevent the desktop.ini file from preventing you seeing the true folder names.

[kennysarmy]

Well I've used File Server Resource Manager on the pupils server to stop it.

That's not on the staff server so will either have to install it or run a batch script to delete if it becomes a problem.

 

I agree with Plexer : if MS have a GPO setting you would think that would handle it correctly and create the "documents" folder under the users local drive automatically.....most users expect to save their work in the root of their H:\ drive though and not have to dig a level down....

[wardsidjame]

Found a couple of simple ways to resolve this.

 

One, create a new folder within the root and call it shortcuts, then highlight all folders in the folder where the home drive folders are kept and select all, then right click and send to desktop (you need to do this from the share as the teachers would see it, not C$ etc), then copy the newly created shortcuts into the inital folder (we called it student home drives) and hid all the other folders, now when staff go in they see the shortcuts to the student home drives and not the home drives, these do not contain the desktop.ini file and dont change.

 

The way we resolved it after this ongoing was to use file resource manager to block desktop.ini files from being saved, then did a simple search per year and removed the files, they arent especially needed as they only save the configuration for viewing folders etc, we have specified a default layout by editing the hive file for the student default userprofiles and this works fine.

 

This has worked fine ever since.

[FN-GM]

Well I've used File Server Resource Manager on the pupils server to stop it.

That's not on the staff server so will either have to install it or run a batch script to delete if it becomes a problem.

 

I agree with Plexer : if MS have a GPO setting you would think that would handle it correctly and create the "documents" folder under the users local drive automatically.....most users expect to save their work in the root of their H:\ drive though and not have to dig a level down....

 

Found a couple of simple ways to resolve this.

 

One, create a new folder within the root and call it shortcuts, then highlight all folders in the folder where the home drive folders are kept and select all, then right click and send to desktop (you need to do this from the share as the teachers would see it, not C$ etc), then copy the newly created shortcuts into the inital folder (we called it student home drives) and hid all the other folders, now when staff go in they see the shortcuts to the student home drives and not the home drives, these do not contain the desktop.ini file and dont change.

 

The way we resolved it after this ongoing was to use file resource manager to block desktop.ini files from being saved, then did a simple search per year and removed the files, they arent especially needed as they only save the configuration for viewing folders etc, we have specified a default layout by editing the hive file for the student default userprofiles and this works fine.

 

This has worked fine ever since.

 

@wardsidjame & @kennysarmy

Doing this for me made the logins go really slow. Take a look here - http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-server-2008-r2/86860-slow-logons-applying-folder-redirection.html

[kevin_lane]

humm we are having the same problems but also we are having an issue where pupils try and go to their N:\ Drive and then get a access denied even though they have access to the folder i have to set the owner of the my documents (the one win7 creates) to the administrators group in order to view the ntfs permissions and we use the folder redirect as well I wish ms never changed the way they stored users settings why change it i think it was perfect the way it was

[paulst30]

We've created a batch file for the deletion of the dreaded Desktop.ini files lol

Just double click it when we see one and it turfs the whole lot in one fail swoop.

 

 

F: (or drive your userdrives are on)

del desktop.ini /F /S /Q /A H

 

100% works a treat on Server 2008 R2. I just have a wee BAT file on the servers desktop and it happily runs.

 

 

You could then set up a sheduled task every morning or so to run it.

 

Paul

Edited January 24, 2012 by paulst30

[Patrickv]

I have the same problem. I just turn off the redirects because i don't need them. But I can say this that the window 6.x versions sucks. Windows XP was way better. Now we have to start again fix a whole lot of new things all over again.

[FN-GM]

Well of course its with anything new it just means change. I am glad XP is on its way out i find Windows 7 better to manage on a network.

[paulst30]

We put Windows 7 in about 2 years ago over the summer holidays, but i wouldnt like to go back to that first day of term ever again. It's taken us till now to get it tweaked just right.

 

imo its managed better via GP and with 2008 servers its better, but visually its not worth the hassle. Folder permissions are a nightmare too, i mean trying to do anything simple on a C drive is nuts, but the protection is there to save time in the long run with rogue pupils altering the contents of a windows folder lol

[Duds]

With reference to the renaming of the home folders.

 

I didn't bother with any of the desktop.ini scripting stuff. I found it much easier to just add "FileName" from "View", "Choose Details" to the top level folder and then "Apply to Folders" from "Tools", "Folder Options" and "View". Less than a minute to do and, for me anyway, 100% effective.

[pdr]

thanks for info ref File Resource Manager, have been struggling with "My Documents" problem for some while, and although I was aware of removing desktop.ini, was not aware of FRM to prevent creation of same

[FN-GM]

thanks for info ref File Resource Manager, have been struggling with "My Documents" problem for some while, and although I was aware of removing desktop.ini, was not aware of FRM to prevent creation of same

 

If your blocking it i would take a look at this thread - http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-server-2008-r2/86860-slow-logons-applying-folder-redirection.html

[kctesting]

We've created a batch file for the deletion of the dreaded Desktop.ini files lol

Just double click it when we see one and it turfs the whole lot in one fail swoop.

 

 

F: (or drive your userdrives are on)

del desktop.ini /F /S /Q /A H

 

100% works a treat on Server 2008 R2. I just have a wee BAT file on the servers desktop and it happily runs.

 

 

You could then set up a sheduled task every morning or so to run it.

 

Paul

 

This seems one of the simplest solution but not too sure if suitable for 10k+ users...; since the cmd deletes all the desktop.ini files from the user folder have you had any issues?